Method of making radiator tubes



May 27 1924. 1,495,170

J. M. FEDDERS METHOD OF MAKING RADIATOR TUBES Fild Aug. 18, 1923 2 Sheers-Sheet 1 z Fig.1 '1' 12 Ill 4,

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J. M. FEDDERS METHOD OF MAKING RADIATOR TUBES Filed Aug. 18, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 4 a Fig 7.

JOHN M. FEDDERS, 9F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

METHOD OF MAKING RADIATOR TUBES.

Application filed August 18, 1923. Serial No. 658,698.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. Fnonnns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Making Radiator Tubes, of which the following is a s ecification.

his invention relates to a method for producing tubes ofc'a radiator which is more particularly designed for cooling the water of gas engines which are used for propelling automobiles and the like. .This invention has for its object the production of a radiator of this character which has a greater cooling efliciency, which is stronger and more durable and in which the metal is not stretched to an appreciable extent which would be liable to causeleakage or weakening of the structure.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary, front elevation of a radiator embodying my invention. Fi ures 2 and 3 are fra mentary sections 0 the same taken on t e correspondingly numbered lines in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4:-4, Figure 1. Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the tubes shown in Figures 14. Figure 6 3 is an end view of one form of partially completed tube for producing a radiator tube in accordance with my invention. Figure 7 is a side elevation of the same. Figure 8 is an end view of the completed tube resulting from the practice of my improved method. Figure 9 is a side elevation of the same. Figure 10 is an end view of another form of tube partially completed ac cording to my method. Figure 11 is a side elevation of the same; Figure 12 is an end view showing the tube represented in Figures 10 and 11 completed. Figure 13 is a side elevation of thesame.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In its general organization, this radiator comprises a plurality of upright water passages or channels 10, a plurality of horizontal air passages 11 arranged between the water passages, an upper water box or header 12 communicating with the upper ends of the Water channels, and a lower water box or header 13 communicating with 55 the lower ends of the water passages.

In practice, the water which circulates around the gas engine for cooling the same is conducted to the upper water box, thence passes downwardly-through the water passages 10 whereby the'same is cooled by the air passing through the air passages 11, thence into the lower water box and thence back again to the engine to be used over agaln 1n the well known manner of cirvor other suitable alloy, which tube has a central body.14= and two collars 15, 15, at

opposite ends of the same, said body'and collars being metal.

In the preferred construction, the body ofthe tube is oblong in cross section with the major axis vertical and the minor axis. horizontal. The upper and lower walls 16, 17 of the body are narrow, horizontal and made of a single sheet of flat throughout their length while the upright side walls 18, 19 of the same are. wider than the upper and lower walls. Each of the collars of this tube in this instance is of hexagonal form circumferentially and provided with up or and lower horizontal facets 20, V20, eac of which is flush with the .adjacenthorizontal wall of the body and is of the same width so as to form practically an outward extension of the same, as clearly shown in Figure 5. Between the upper and lower facets of each collar are two pairs of inclined facets 21, 21, each of'which is equal in width circumferentially to one of the horizontal facets. The members of each pair of inclined facets connectthe corresponding ends of the fad jacent upper and lower facets and converge toward each other and pro'ect laterally outward therefrom so as to orm an'ofi'set on the respective end of the adjacent upright wall of the body of the tube.

A plurality of such tubes are assembled so that the horizontal walls and facets of each tube engage with the corresponding walls and facets of adjacent tubes and the inclined facets of each tube engage with the corresponding facets of adjacent tubes.

When thus assembled, the interior of these tubes form a plurality of air passages and the bodies of the tubes in adjacent vertical n rows or tiers are spaced apart to form the vertical water passages which latter are closed at opposite ends of the tubes by the angular ofl'sets on the several tubes engaging each other. Owing to the contact between the horizontal walls of the several tubes, there is no cross or horizontal circulation between one vertical water passage and another, unless a tube should be imperfect in which event no objectionable results will follow. After the tubes have been thus assembled, the opposite ends of the same are'connected with each other by dipping them in solder or otherwise, thereby sealing the same and preventing leakage of water from the water passages.

For the purpose of slightly retarding the fiow ofair through the air passages and increasing the transmissionof heat from the water to the air, each of the latter is provided on the outer sides of its upright walls with inwardly projecting embossments 22, the embossments in one wall of each tube being opposite the spaces between the embossments of the companion wall, whereby these embossments are staggered relative to each other, as shown in Figure 4, and thereby for'm bafies which moderately obstruct the free flow of the air and ensure the maximum abstraction of the heat from the water.

If desired the tube may be first constructed of oblong rectangular form throughout its length, as shown at 16 in Figures 6 and 7 and then the oflsets 15 and embossments 22 may be formed therein, as shown right walls of the tubes and an indirect radiation oi heat from the water to the air takes place through the medium of the upper and lower horizontal walls of the tubes which engage each other but do not come in direct contact with the water. By thus carrying the heat ot the water to the air partly by a direct course and partly by an 'indirect course, it has been found that a much greater cooling efiiciency upon the water is obtained than when the water is cooled wholly by direct means or wholly by indirect means.

By contacting the tubes with each other throughout their length, a much stronger structure is produced which is not liable to give way under the severest strains while and reducing the eliiciency of the radiator.

By contracting the tubes only on two sides and leaving the other two" sides full width, more air is permitted to pass through the tube and thus secure greater cooling capacity.

Moreover, by constructing tubes in this manner, practically no stretching or cracking of the metal occurs inasmuch as the upright walls of the tube are formed by'bend-.

ing inwardly the intermediate parts of the tubular blank forming'the u right walls of the tube and sli htly bendlng outwardly those end parts of the same which form the offsets to such an extent only as would amount to merely displacing or shifting the metal without any appreciable stretching of the same, thereby permitting of using a much lighter gage of metal. This not only reduces the cost of making the radiator but also increases the efficiency of the same owing to the more rapid transmission ofheat through the metal which is of decreased thickness.

The tubes may be made either seamless of sheet metal as shown in Figures 10-13 or of sheet metal with a lock seam 23, as shown in Figures 5-9, in any approvedmanner. If desired the upright walls of the body of the tube may be formed without any embossments, as shown in Figures 12 and 13. When assembled, the tubes may be wholly submerged in solder or only dipped at the ends of the same for unitingothem.

li claim'as my invention:

1. The herein described method of producing tubes for radiators which consists in forming a tube of sheet metal so that the same has a cross section intermediate of its ends which is of rectangular oblong form, the two narrow sides of which constitute two diametrically opposite facets of a hexagon, and spreading the diametrically opposite wide sides of the tube at each end thereof, so that each of these wide sides forms two facets of a hexagon.

'2. The herein described method of producing tubes for radiators which consists in forming a tube of sheet metal so that the same has a cross section intermediate of its ends which is of rectangular oblong form, the two narrow sides of which constitute two diametrically opposite facets ofa hexagon, and spreading the diametrically oppotee same so that the same has a cross-section.

intermediate of its ends which is of rectangular oblon form, the two narrow sides of which constltute two diametrically opposite facets of a hexagon, and spreading the diametrically opposite wide sides of the tube at each end thereof, so that each of these wide sides forms two facets of a hexagon.

4. The herein described method of producing tubes for radiators which consists in forming a tube of sheet metal so that the same has a cross section intermediate of its ends which is of rectangular oblong form, the two narrow sides of which constitute two diametrically opposite facets of a hexagon, spreading the diametrically opposite wide sides of the tube at each end thereof, so that each of these wide sides forms two facets of a hexagon and indenting the wide walls intermediate of the ends of the same. In testimony whereof I aifix my signature. JOHN M. FEDDERS. 

